Doctor insights on:
What Kind Of Doctor Treats The Tongue

1

Three Choices:
There are three primary doctors who can diagnose & treat conditions of the tongue: ear, nose and throat doctor, dentist, and/or oral surgeon. It's hard to know where to begin sometimes. Also, they may refer you back & forth between themselves if you have something unusual. But, you have to start somewhere, so pick the doctor who is most convenient. Generally, I would think, that's your dentist.
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Mouth (mouth) " n. Pl. Mouths 1. A. The body opening through which an animal takes in food. B. The cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on the outside by the lips and inside by the oropharynx and containing in higher vertebrates the tongue, gums, and teeth. C. This cavity regarded as the source of sounds and speech. D. The opening to any cavity or canal in an organ ".
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5

Several:
Several physicians are involved in the care of patients with tongue cancer. An ear, nose, and throat physician (otolaryngologist); radiation oncologist; and medical oncologist may all be involved at some point during diagnosis and treatment.
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8

A Medical Doctor:
Pain from trigeminal neuralgia can result from more than one source. You need to find a physician who is very familiar with this disorder. Evaluation and treatment may require several different approaches before arriving at a satisfactory solution. I would suggest beginning with a neurologist.
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9

See a dentist first:
This can be something simple or something difficult to diagnose. Your dentist can evaluate you and recommend some treatment alternatives. If necessary, he will refer you to a doctor to see if there are any systemic causes, such as vitamin deficiency or side effects of medication you may be taking.
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12

ENT, and others:
Many types of doctors may need to be involved. An otolaryngologist, radiation therapist and a medical oncologist may all be needed depending in the stage of the tongue cancer.
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15

Oral Surgeon:
An oral surgeon is trained to diagnose tongue pathologies and have the expertise to biopsy and treat if necessary. Your general dentist can also diagnose but may still refer you to an oral surgeon to biopsy and provide a second opinion.
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19

1st see a Dentist:
Sores can be caused by a number of things. Hot soup or simply just biting your own tongue. Or sometimes it is caused by an inflammatory response called an "apthous ulcer" which can be treated with topical steroids. Another possibility is a herpes ulcer caused by the herpes virus. Herpes you cannot simply "get rid of", Valtrex (valacyclovir) is a rx you can take to minimize the presence of the ulcerations.
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PCP or ENT:
I would start with your primary care doctor and have him/her examine you. This could be infection or inflammation in your mouth/tongue and could be treated with anti-inflammatory meds and perhaps antibiotics. If this is more serious your PCP will direct you to ENT.
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Does it bother you?:
What I mean is besides the fact that you have a yellow film does it bother you at all? If you're not having pain irritation burning or any other symptoms then forget about it. It is amazing how different people's tongues can look at various times. Frequently what you eat and drink can affect how your tongue looks. Acids can especially alter the tongues appearance.
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27

Thrush?:
The way you are describing the lesion I would think it's Thrush, a fungus infection, Not only the treatment needed for it, the cause for it needs to be found. It's very unusual to have Thrush in Immunocompetent people, although stress, Diabetes and some medication could cause that. You can see a Family Medicine doctor or an Internist.
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30

Depends on how long:
This depends on how long ago- it happened. That muscle near your temple is connected to your chewing mechanism. If it is bruised, it may take a few weeks for it to go away
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